 Inside
the Green Card Lottery
By Dimitrina KorchevaWhat is the Diversity Visa Program? How does
it work? Are my family and I eligible? Why are so many people
disqualified?
Survey after survey shows people all around the world would like
to know more about the Diversity Visa Program, or as it is more
commonly known, the Green Card Lottery. It is an exciting,
inexpensive and easy way to acquire the right to legally live and
work in the United States. On the other hand, there are many
requirements ranging from size of the envelope in which the
application is sent to the short time frame during which the
application should be received by the National Visa Center, the
branch of the State Department dealing with the Diversity Visa
Program.
Created in 1990 by an act of Congress, the Diversity Visa Program
allots 55,000 green cards a year to qualified applicants through
random drawing. What is a qualified applicant? Anyone born in one of
the so-called "eligible" countries and having a completed secondary
education (or the equivalent in work experience) can apply. Most
countries in the world are eligible with only a few exceptions.
Those who were born in an ineligible country but whose spouses were
born in an eligible country may also apply.
Nonetheless the rules of the lottery itself are very strict. Such
seemingly trivial details as size of the envelope, format of the
application, photograph requirements, etc. are crucial. According to
the State Department 2.5 million of all entries were disqualified in
the last lottery for even minor errors. Other sources claim the
total of disqualified applicants to be around 14 million.
It is then no surprise that most people who are serious about
their chances of obtaining a green card use the services of an
agency, which deals almost exclusively with the Diversity Visa
Program. The largest such agency in the United States is
U.S. Lottery
Registration. For many years it has won the trust of people from
around the world with its excellence and responsible handling of
applications. U.S.
Lottery Registration has a staff of highly qualified specialists
who keep abreast of the latest developments in immigration law and
especially the Green Card Lottery. The slightest change in
requirements is immediately taken into account.
U.S. Lottery
Registration is the only company that not only makes sure every
client receives an application with full instructions on how to
complete it and a detailed explanation of what the process entails,
but also keeps each applicant informed of their status every step of
the way. Every application received at
U.S. Lottery
Registration is individually checked for correctness and an
identification number is assigned. A receipt letter including their
Membership Card with the identification number is then sent to the
applicant. In case anything is missing such as photos, date of
birth, etc. the applicant is contacted immediately so that the
application can be corrected.
A second letter is sent out after the application has been
actually entered in the lottery. The letter contains a confirmation
number, which has received a stamp by the postal office and is proof
that the application has already been mailed to the National Visa
Center.
Upon receipt of a winner's package U.S. Lottery Registration
immediately contacts the lucky person so that they can start the
process of receiving the green card itself.
U.S. Lottery
Registration is the only agency that informs all its candidates
of the outcome of their applications, regardless of their outcome.
What actually happens at the National Visa Center? Each envelope
received is assigned a number only if it is matches the requirements
exactly. The slightest error on the envelope itself automatically
disqualifies the applicant and the envelope is rejected even before
it is actually opened. Envelopes that arrive either before or after
the time frame of the Lottery are also rejected.
The draw itself takes place about three to four months after the
closing date of the Lottery. A computer randomly selects the numbers
assigned to the envelopes. The envelopes are then opened and the
application forms are in turn checked for accuracy. Again, failing
to comply with even the smallest requirements is reason for
rejection of the application. In the end winners are only those
applicants who have followed all steps accurately and precisely.
Since the process is so complicated it is those candidates who
employ the services of professional agencies that have the most
chances of being selected and approved. They do not have to worry if
they have fully understood the requirements, if their envelope
reaches the National Visa Center on time (if at all), especially if
they are not in the United States. At
U.S. Lottery
Registration each application is individually handled and
processed.
After the selection process is over, the National Visa Center
sends out the winners packages to the successful candidates. If the
package gets lost in the mail the National Visa Center will not send
out a duplicate and applicants cannot contact the Center as it ill
not give out information as to who is a winner. It is estimated that
many candidates never even learn that they have been selected.
That is another reason for choosing an agency.
U.S. Lottery
Registration makes a copy of each winner's package before
sending it to the successful applicant. In case it gets lost the
staff at U.S. Lottery
Registration will resend the package. That way another
uncertainty in the process is eliminated.
It is then no wonder that thousands of people from all over the
world trust U.S. Lottery Registration to make sure their
applications reach their purpose. With the lottery being held only
once a year it pays to have all chances on your side! |
